


Little Drinks

by meiqis



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, First Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I failed the genre actually, M/M, Meet the Family, the slightest mention of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 09:10:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17342558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meiqis/pseuds/meiqis
Summary: When childhood friends go astray and two well favored models meet years later, one is most definitely the dumb not to realize and the other thinks too far ahead. But at least they have family to keep their back!orthe one where Zhengting doesn't recognize Yanjun and they both have to hide from more people than just their mothers





	Little Drinks

**Author's Note:**

> Originally based on [this prompt](https://curiouscat.me/dadting/post/676354201) except I butchered it because I'm too soft ~~@ people still calling me a hard stan smh~~  
>  It's still a mess regardless and probably my last work for a while rip you all will be missed!

It was oddly fascinating, over and over again, whenever he saw his own industry from the other side, when he watched models walking down the lanes and created paths rather than having to follow the practiced routine on his own, when he got to look at the outfits not only in flashed hurry from whenever he ripped the clothes off his body, catching glimpse of merely the back of the other person ahead of him whenever he stepped out from behind the curtains again to stride proudly again, sometimes with the agility of a panther, other times it was the uptightness of a soldier, easily fitting to whatever those designers and organizers demanded from him, because he wouldn’t be where he was if he hadn’t put in the effort that was required of him and doubled it in his eagerness, not one to only give half of his self to something he knew was his passion and dream, satisfied whenever he could see his face gracing magazine covers and billboard ads, easily sacrificing hours of sleep if only it meant to squeeze in that one more schedule, and as much as he tore his ass apart for this industry, he quite as much demanded those days of rest he required.  
For specifically this reason he was currently set in the front row of a show about to start rather than walking it, tending to turn down more invitations to the stage than he could accept to just watch, and even though he thought there wasn’t much of a break from one to the other, because he still had to hurry to get his looks refreshed between shows and possibly change clothes in tight toilet stalls, fitting whatever mood the event designers had gone for, it was still so worth it because of how he was able to just sit down for an hour and more, to talk calmly to the people before and after the shows, as much as his time allowed, and the best of it, since he wouldn’t need to sway his hips in front of countless eyes and cameras the upcoming day, he could make all the best of the after parties that seemed to take place at thirty different places each and every night and everywhere he’d know someone, it was intriguing, thrilling, and he hadn’t realized how much of a share it had in their world but all that faster just how easily he could use it to his advantage, charming people with a flurry of smiles and compliments just to be certain that he’d get the best jobs the next time too, all of that without the help of his manager, on top.  
Which didn’t mean he wouldn’t have company then, he just knew who would be more fun, and his stylist, lovely, funny, hundred percent authentic Xuanyi, was way better company than that geezer of a manager they had him stuck with for however long the pregnancy leave of his actual caretaker would be - and that guy wasn’t even the one bearing the child. Such a measly reason and yet he couldn’t be upset, not when he had seen the excitement in the soon-to-be father whenever talking about his wife’s growing belly, promising to send baby pictures as soon as possible, asking Zhengting to become the godfather, and most definitely the latter hadn’t been able to deny such a request because he wouldn’t be where he was if not for his easily overworked and so highly treasured staff.  
Already he was thinking of which of the outfits he was currently looking at beneath white and blue lights, worn by models walking past him - and just as many as he had to praise for their abilities in his mind, equally as many he would like to scold for walking so sleazily on such a grand show - he could recommend to his fashion adviser to buy for him and reinterpret, which would fit his frame and which he could already trash, not unlike swiping left or right on certain dating apps, and similarly he was also thinking of which would look good on Xuanyi’s body, not minding to spoil someone who was already more of a sister to him than his bloodborne one, and if only it was for the time they had to spend together on a daily base, laughing and bickering and her just dealing with his horrible temper while jokingly telling him to just let go of all this stress already by getting laid, which had lead to him asking just how often she got laid to still be as easy-going after all these days she had to suffer next to him but the only reply he had received was a teasing wink and a reminder of that she had enough people ready at her call, and at least three women he knew were regulars, most definitely rather so than the models she seemed to easily be picking up at every after party he took her along to.  
To just be looking and making judgements on his own criteria was like meditation, actually, just watching people pass by, deciding which points of attire and walk he liked and what he should pick up for himself, only to drop all these thoughts the next person came by, the most prominent of articles already branded in his mind and maybe the only downside of not crossing these walks was that models often times were allowed to keep some items, if only they were liked enough by the designers, while he would need to spend his money earned with hard work on it, unless he was able to charm people into gifting him these later then, and maybe another downside was only ever catching short glimpses of the one man he had heard was called his greatest rival in the industry, walking by bristly and without a break in rhythm but for some odd reason, over and over again, he had a sensation of their gazes meeting and shivers running down his spine, moment broken all too soon and leaving him questioning it all altogether.  
If he had to be honest, he had never given much about rivalry and competition, if he landed a great job, he’d satisfy only himself and later those who hired him, and if he didn’t land it, he’d have to think of where he had gone wrong later on, after hours of working himself down to his bones he was also more aware of where his strengths lied and where his weaknesses were, what areas exactly were his favorites, and he definitely wasn’t afraid of admitting that photoshoots were something he enjoyed more than the walks for several reasons, no matter how much he enjoyed the spotlight, it was a matter of succeeding or failing with just one attempt, there wasn’t all that much individuality about it, it didn’t let him indulge the mood quite as much as a shooting would allow him too, there was no doing over in an attempt to reach for perfection and, in the name of whoever pulled strings up there, just how much he did love to aim for perfection… So as long as he got to do and enjoy what he was best at, wasn’t that enough?  
Maybe not, because in the eyes of the media he still needed to be aware of so many people around him, and while there were certain models, his seniors, mostly, he kept track of, not out of a sense of rivalry but for simple admiration, apparently he was supposed to care more about those who had landed similar jobs to his, who were said to be quite as successful as him, who were compared to and he was compared to, who were on their way up to make the pedestal he was standing on wobble in its place, and maybe he wouldn’t have turned out to be so aware of other models if it weren’t for exactly this kind of media repeating to ask question aimed exactly there, but the sad thing wasn’t that he paid attention to them for outstanding skills or charisma, no, it was merely because he was recalling interviews and their facts, remembering how one had earned more than him in a certain month while another had snatched his spot on a cover, and it was making his head spin because he would much rather get to know people on his own instead of just remembering their fame he had heard about in fruitless tries to make his mask crack.  
They had all come and gone in a flurry, these models who had been said to be his next rival, because whoever wasn’t able to keep up with changing trends and requirements would be out sooner than they could say their dream occupation’s name out loud, and possibly for that reason, too, he was all the more aware of the one who he had caught a glimpse of before the media, a model he had seen on the catwalk once, before the man had shot to fame seemingly over night, and who was now holding one half of his crown for longer than anyone before, a man who didn’t change his charisma to match the atmosphere but who seemed to bend the atmosphere until it was like a defeated army kneeling down, making him easily stand out even amongst dozens of other people striding down this same path, just a handful feet away from Zhengting’s crossed legs, a man who had been in the industry longer than him but, like a hidden treasure, been discovered too late, and now fame was spilling over like an unwatched pot of milk cooking on the stove, drawing his attention all the more, the only model he actually wanted to pay attention to, and maybe so in more ways than just a business one.

Lin Yanjun, Zhengting had learned soon, might look all parts of the bad boy, partly reason as to why the other model was booked so well, but he was everything else other than that, a homebody who wouldn’t go to these after parties he so religiously liked to attend with every fashion week, and it was an enigma, the way they seemed to fulfill all the stereotypes for the other, he, who had started his career as an angelic being, bright and innocent eyes, softly colored hair, had been called a fairy until they realized he wasn’t quite that, couldn’t be, not when he was enjoying the socializing within the business all too much, chatting here and drinking there, dining one place and partying the other, he was taking it easy after securing his standing within the industry and doing so many of these things expected of Yanjun, except the older was busy fulfilling what people thought he would be doing, going to dine at noble restaurants and easily filling the social media with aesthetically taken pictures, reading books that ranged from fairy tails over fantasy novels to outrightly disgusting science materials, if short story videos were anything to go by. He, the lithe and tender one, was the one to laugh out way more loudly than most people would expect while the other would tell lame puns that betrayed all expectations, or at least he had been told so.  
Actually, despite all their being put up against each other, being compared and contrasted, he didn’t think he had ever properly talked to the other model, they had been stoked up for nearly two years now and not once had they collaborated, had gone further than a nod of their heads if they ended up at a bigger event together, but a real talk, even just a former greeting, such thing had never taken place, if he thought about it, he was quite certain even Xuanyi was closer to him, thanks to one of her regulars affairs who had turned out to be a manager in the opposing company or something, he had tuned out too easily that day as the story had been told, and maybe he hadn’t considered it so much of an interesting story, because, for one, he wasn’t eager to hear the dirty details and, for the other, he didn’t like to pry into personal lives, even though their whole business made up of gossip and, no matter how much he wasn’t fan of it, he didn’t get around hearing all these rumors surrounding this other model.  
So this, this very morning, the whole of the past ten minutes he had spent staring at the man right in front of him, felt quite unreal, for minutes he had tried to get to the gist of just why he was in a hotel room that wasn’t his, in a bed that was so utterly messed up, next to a man who was equally as naked as he was, but the only conclusion he could reach was that, indeed, he had had too much to drink because he couldn’t remember much anymore. Certainly, there was coming to the party and then some surprise about seeing that blonde half-god of a man there, drinking himself into having a lion’s heart and hitting the other up and then… Then it was a fuzzy mess of laughter, ecstasy, and the best orgasm of his life and, despite that last knowledge, he couldn’t remember any ten seconds of their one-night-stand.  
“Morning, handsome,” a voice softly called out, voice gruff and hoarse from sleep and sex and already driving shivers down his spine while gentle fingers carded through his hair to brush it back, making him awfully aware of the little flush creeping up his neck and towards his cheeks. “Thought you looked beautiful screaming beneath me but now you’re even prettier…”  
Silently he bit down onto his tongue, considering what he should reply to that, he couldn’t remember anything and maybe Yanjun looked awfully pretty with the morning’s gentle sunlight illuminating golden skin from behind and making strands of hair shine softly, but he wasn’t about to say this to a man he didn’t know properly, and after moments of contemplation, he figured maybe the truth would be the best. “I must’ve drunk too much,” he admitted silently, careful as he sat up only to realize with a hint of surprise he wasn’t quite as sore as he would have expected to be, either their encounter hadn’t been quite as rough as he would have suspected or there was some outstanding skill behind it that must have included tons of preparation and even more usage of lube, not like he would ask about that one, though. “I don’t think I remember anyth-”  
His little excursion was interrupted by a phone ringing in the distance, sound sharp and seeming way too loud, and it wasn’t until he saw Yanjun nod his head lightly into the direction of the ringing he had to realize it was his own, nearly toppling over as he tried to get out of bed, not the least mindful towards the bare state of his body because, for one, he wouldn’t be a model if he felt embarrassed of it, and it seemed quite obvious it was too late to hide his looks from someone who had allegedly seen all of him already. It was thanks to his scrambling he finally felt the light soreness racing up his spine as he picked up the phone, greeted by his current manager’s annoying voice, each question answered with a gruff rumble of his own, listening to this day’s schedule and checking with the time only briefly before he already ended the call, mid-word of the older on the other end of the line, and similarly as his caretaker had seemed to be intent on going on talking, he felt the same kind of aura from behind him, accompanied by the rustle of sheets, prompting him to call the next name on the list only to be greeted by Xuanyi’s awfully cheerful voice, because, honestly, who was this cheerful this early in the morning…  
All of the next words he got to exchange with the host of this room were to ask about their exact location, forwarded to his stylist with a request of a change of clothes because he hadn’t brought any, obviously, for staying the night with his supposed rival hadn’t exactly been marked down in his schedule, neither was it something he’d celebrate or the likes, it was something he actually needed to wrap his head around first, after so many years of his days, holidays, and schedules so properly having been planned out, he didn’t quite know how to handle a scene like this yet, which was most definitely the reason for him to avoid yet another talk by using needing to take a shower as an excuse for exactly that.  
The hot water most definitely helped in not only washing away the fatigue of the previous night but also had him clear his mind, feeling the confusion and haze of alcohol getting flushed out by the gentle stream, even though his body wasn’t exactly fan of it, considering he was certain of the remaining influence coursing through his vein and overly aware of the emptiness of his stomach, it didn’t stop him from staying right where he was, thinking over the situation, which turned out to be considerably hard when he couldn’t remember most of the happenings, a fuzzy veil dropped all over it, and despite the nagging knowledge of the older sounding awfully attractive with a voice laced with sex, he couldn’t even remember what he had been told in bed for him to remember that fact so clearly.  
An annoyed groan escaped him as he rubbed away on his scalp, washing out hairspray and the remains of a washable coloration that had tinted his tips a deep royal blue but was probably now smeared into the pillow covers thanks to their deeds committed just some hours ago, and the learning of such most definitely didn’t help his mood, not when he still didn’t know how to go about this, for sure they wouldn’t make it public or anything, what had happened in this hotel room would stay quiet, he didn’t need the first scandal of his career to include his sexuality, but even if it remained a matter between the two of them, was he supposed to just leave it there? a matter of a night? or was he supposed to pick up on it and go for getting to know the other model finally? Right now, most definitely, the fact he hated most was that he couldn’t even talk to someone about it, not with the person that mattered most in that conversation around, it had him wishing the older would have gone back to sleep or at least not waken up with him just so he could have called Xuanyi again and whisper-yelled for some advice on how to handle this situation, even though her only words would have been a cheerful, “If you like him, stick with him. At least you got laid finally!”  
The idea of such recommendation had him shuddering, made him reconsider having chosen her as a stylist when suddenly Meiqi or Cheng Xiao, two of the exchange students he had gotten to know throughout his late middle school years, when he had been in Korea with his family still, and who had always advised him on his fashion choices, seemed like a way better option to have recruited for this job, at least they would have been less shameless for sure. But the essence of such imaginary counsel at least seemed to be fitting, if he liked the other, he could easily stick around, and that, again, was where the troubles started because, honestly, how was he supposed to know whether he’d like the other when he didn’t remember anything? To some extent, Yanjun must have been charming or they wouldn’t even have reached this point, or he was an outright asshole to have taken advantage of the situation but then again, would he have been greeted so gently after waking up?  
Another groan escaped him as he childishly stomped his foot into the water, hearing the fluid splashing around but not to the point he’d be able to miss out on the sound of the bathroom door opening behind him, his frame hidden thanks to the steam clouding the glassen walls but, similarly, he wouldn’t be able to look outside even if he had tried, leaving him to stubbornly wait for whatever the intruder had to say, which turned out to come as quiet as a surprise, though, “I figured you’d have a schedule later but since you’ll be waiting for whoever picks you up anyways, I already ordered some breakfast. And coffee - coffee is okay, is it? I can also change to tea, if you’d prefer that or-”  
“Coffee is fine,” he called out, interrupting the rambling that he wasn’t sure whether to yet consider as adorable or bothersome, at least he had to give a gold sticker for effort, to have the kind of consideration to even offer a quick meal while having to wait, something he wasn’t sure whether to dread, because he’d have to sit around with Yanjun for a while longer, or to look forward to, because it was yet another excuse for him to not have to talk about what had happened again. “Yanjun?” He called out after some short hesitation, turning his head just in time to catch a hazy glimpse of a semi-dressed person leaning past the door frame, “Thank you. For the breakfast, I mean. And asking.”  
He couldn’t see it but he could quite well imagine the grin spreading on handsome features, accompanied by cute dimples, that came with an answer of it being nothing, and then the door fell close again, and he was left alone again to think about how to handle this situation.

If before he had been in love with fashion week, he most definitely was in love with the week that followed it, a routine he had kept for years now, a tradition that included him catching the first flight the Monday after to head to his family home, the lovely house on one of Seoul’s mountains he had spent half his youth in, before he had been casted on a lucky coincidence as he had visited his aunt back in China, it was somewhat funny, because he was aware of how many Chinese exchange students had been so eager to get accepted into a company in Korea, even more so since he had graduated from a school of performing arts, yet he, who had moved there because of his father’s occupation within the embassy, had been cast in his motherland instead.  
Which didn’t change his attachment to this foreign place, though, especially since this one week seemed to be one to be especially dedicated towards family, with his sister taking time off from her company work, taking his little nephew along with her, and his father working more in advance just so he could decrease his work hours during their stay, his mother always making sure to not accept any jobs during that time, even though she had a lot of those in the queue, being a freelance marketing designer and all, that all together made his stay all the more worthwhile, he decided, as he was strolling their house slowly, steaming cup of black tea in his hands, his mother still an expert in finding just the perfect ratio of milk and sugar to please him.  
“This one’s new,” he pointed out, stopping with his feet at the beginning of the staircase to look at the many framed pictures decorating the wall, quite aware of how his mother was still within earshot from her place in the nearby kitchen, only to join him seconds later to look at the photographies too, seemingly sorted by age because one of the first he had spotted was one of his sister holding baby him in her arms, barely old enough to carry an infant but still looking so very bright at the prospect of having a younger sibling finally, morphing into pictures of them together, from him, standing in the kitchen with his father, while his sister was settled on the counter, textbooks open and with her school uniform still on, mother’s day when the kids had bought a bracelet she had wished for together with their father, sparkling on her wrist just as much as he found their smiles were shining, all dear memories he could take a look at.  
There were a handful that stood out, though, because they weren’t only family, except to him it had been, that best friend he had had for those years between moving here and becoming a teenager, a few dozen months he had spent with his best friend of that time, also a son of an ambassador, with both their faces still full with baby fat to the point he couldn’t quite imagine what the other would look like now, and despite that the memories still seemed quite fresh, of afternoons spent together at the other family’s house and his best friend drinking while resting in a pool floaty despite them both being aware there would be some heavy scolding if only they would be caught by whom he had considered his second mother at that time, the many times they had ran into each other in the school hallways and Zhengting had cheerfully told about the candies his grandmother had sent him from the mainlands only to press a handful into surprised hands a few seconds later, dashing off towards class with the ring of the bell right after.  
Back then truly had been happy and carefree days, way more relaxed than his tight schedules now and, in an awfully embarrassed member, he pulled up his fluffy turtleneck to hide his smile in the soft cotton as if he wasn’t already aware of his mother’s amused grin about his expression, leaning against the railing in such an elegant way it seemed to betray the age the wrinkles around her eyes spoke about. “You know, as attached as you had been back then, I wasn’t the least surprised when you came back home one day and yelled about marrying each other later in life. That day I felt ready to just adopt that kid as my son-in-law already.”  
He couldn’t help but snort into his clothing, pulling down the makeshift mask just a moment later so she could see the mockingly exasperated expression he had put on, rolling his eyes dramatically before he shifted to just drop his weight onto one of the steps up. “You are aware I was a child when I said that, right?” Lightly he raised his eyebrows over the edge of his cup while taking a sip from the tea, watching her equally amused expression before he added, “But at least that explains why you weren’t stunned about me coming out to you…”  
“You seem to forget that your aunt had already prepared me for such eventuality,” she reminded softly, a story he was well aware of, because his mother’s sister, who had taken to study overseas beginning with high school, still within the time frame of sexual liberation, hadn’t been shy of experimenting around, only to figure out that women were more to her liking than men, with his mother being one of the first to being informed of such fact and if the stories he was told were anything to go by, his grandparents had taken it well at all, it had always made his mother mindful of not mistreating her own children in case of repetition, and she had proven to stick well with her silent promise, because despite all his confidence already in youthful days, he had still felt nagging anxiety behind his stoic mask when he had told his parents about his preferences, only to be flooded by a giant wave of relief when he had been told it was perfectly fine, his father merely shrugging it off and his mother assuring him she could come to him or his aunt, more accustomed to such matters, if he had any questions. It had made him realize he truly loved his family just that much.  
“But since we’re already talking about him, the Lins called me in the morning and asked whether it was this week you’re here for a visit. Their son will also come home and since you didn’t meet in years, they thought it would be nice to have dinner together,” his mother told with a smile, outright laughing when catching the excited sparkle in her son’s eyes before she turned towards the kitchen again, going to prepare whatever it was she was working on because, last time he had checked, cooking most definitely wasn’t a strength of the female members of their family. “They’ll be coming over tomorrow at five. Your father said he’ll need your help in the kitchen by noon.”  
“Aye, aye,” he called out cheerfully while heaving himself up from the stairs again to head up to his room instead, wanting to do nothing more than take advantage of the free time he finally got to spend however he wanted, although this afternoon was already planned to be spared with his book and tea alone, sitting in the little alcove at his window, curled up into a blanket with the falling snow creating a white curtain on the other side of the glass.

Unsurprisingly, even the next day was spent in a relaxed manner, including him being able to sleep in and having a light breakfast, before most of it was spent helping his father out in the kitchen just as he had promised, their time filled with laughter and cooing whenever his nephew volunteered to help out only to get tired merely half an hour later, running out of the kitchen with a small plate in his chubby hands, yelling for his mother about the little treat they had received to try and from there it didn’t take long to hear laughter bubbling out from the living room where his sister must have been busy tidying up a bit, putting her son down on the couch, the sound of children shows echoing through the house, interrupted only by the questions of his mother about what drinks she should prepare and what china she should be putting onto the table, only resulting in Zhengting snorting into the air.  
“She’s treating this as if we had the president himself over, not your best friends,” he muttered under his breath but still loud enough for his father to hear, chuckling silently in a response before shushing him out of the kitchen, mentioning they still would need to redress and that even his mom would be able to watch over the crab steaming in the pot, maybe a tad too aware of how much time a song working as a model would need to get ready and dressed for a beautiful dinner with the family.  
It had been a considerate suggestion, leaving him with enough time to shower and all without any hurry on his heels, and even greeting the older couple that still felt like home as he was pulled into a hug by Mrs Lin for a greeting, heartwarming scent of vanilla and chai, moments later receiving a fatherly pat to his back as he was asked how he had been doing, teasingly taunting questions of why he had never shown up to pay a visit to them, especially since he knew quite well where to go for that, it had him laughing softly as he lead them to the living room, his nephew easily settling down between their guests on the couch, adorably interrupting their conversation in a steady rhythm but smiling so brightly no one could actually be upset when his chubby cheeks were bright red with excitement.  
A whole while must have passed when the doorbell was rung the second time this night, because as he looked outside it had gone from the early dawn to complete darkness, making him shudder slightly, thinking about how cold it must be outside, and yet their last visitor was only arriving now, in the midst of the recently again falling snow, supposedly because of some work schedule they hadn’t been able to delay, and there was a looming sense of peril when he felt the overly mirthful gazes of the older ones boring holes into his back as he left the room to head for the door, not enough so to drown out the sense of excitement, though.  
His hand on the door handle already, he was just shy of ripping it open, but the cheerful “Junn...ie…” died on his tongue just as fast as his face fell into flabbergasted helplessness, staring not at the boy with deep tanned skin and silky black hair, dimples deep, but rather at the man he caught himself in bed with just recently, frozen in place and blind to the cold air rippling past his legs and inside as he couldn’t help but just stare at the other model, thoughts refusing to link together like magnets with same-poled ends being put close to each other.  
The other, though, didn’t seem fazed the least as he so shamelessly put on a disarmingly charming smile, nodding his head towards the illuminated hallway behind Zhengting. “May I come in?” The latter could do little more than stumble aside, would have fallen over if not for his hold onto the door still, feeling as if someone had ripped of his head and put it back on upside down thanks to the so natural way in which Yanjun moved around, taking off his shoes to neatly put them to the side, pulling out a pair of slippers and hanging his coat, doing all these things he, as the host, would have been supposed to do and it was only when the cold breeze from outside brushed inside again that the other model looked at him finally. “Did my good looks finally make you freeze over or are you just fond of the snow that much? You always enjoyed rolling through the snow, I wasn’t aware you’re still so int-”  
“Sorry, I… I just didn’t expect…” After his rude interruption, he couldn’t help but now also strandedly gesture at the, well, whole being of the older, all while leaning with his back against the door to make it fall close, little droplets of snowflakes spread on the floor and soaking into his fuzzy socks as he still stared at his opposite who finally seemed to realize the situation, eyes widening softly.  
“They didn’t tell you? I thought you were aware when we-” Yanjun never got to finish the sentence, maybe it was a curse that had fallen upon the older recently because Zhengting was quite certain he had heard finished comments way less often than interruptions, this time coming from his nephew who slid over the hardwood floor, nearly crashing into a wall in excitement before so confidently holding out his hand to their newest arrival, introducing himself in a chirpy voice only to immediately call out that all of them were set at the dining table already, happily telling he was hungry so they better come along now or he’d be upset a lot!  
A child’s magic was truly an impressive thing, because seeing that overly zealous face did everything to calm his nerves as he solved his back from the door, shooing the little one on while keeping a steady eye on who was apparently his childhood friend, groaning low in his throat just before they had reached the dining room and, on a whim, catching a shirt clad wrist to hold the other back for a moment. “Don’t… Please don’t mention that in front of my family. We can talk about this later, alright?”

“Later” had translated into near midnight, settled at the kitchen counter with a glass of wine each and his fork mindlessly taking apart a slice of the cake his mother had bought for this night, their parents in the living room and laughing loudly as they talked about work episodes or memories of their childhood, his sister upstairs where, he was quite certain, she had fallen asleep next to her son after putting him into bed, but it was only because of the very dessert he was currently ruining so cruelly that he had left the bubbly room, Yanjun hot on his heels for apparently having found a convenient excuse for their talk with such reasoning, even though it had lead to their only words so far having been his offer of a drink and the other accepting easily.  
With each passing second, he was becoming more and more uncomfortable in his seat, there was a tension surrounding them he couldn’t quite name and it was all the more unnerving that it had only come up with them being alone, there had been none of it while they had laughed along with their parents, talking about their juvenile little adventures and accidents, only for him to stop in his track for a moment or two when he realized he was watched by his supposed best friend, biting his lower lip in the same way he did right now while lowering his head as if he had been caught - but for what exactly?  
“So,” he finally started, lowering his fork and leaving the cake he had been staring at finally be, instead raising his eyes to a pair that must have consistently been looking at him, if the burning marks at his neck were anything to go by. “You… All these years you were aware of our kind of relationship?”  
There was an approving hum coming as reply that most definitely wasn’t supposed to send a pleased shiver down his spine but did so nonetheless, and there was a slight impression of actual admiration for Yanjun for not seeming fazed by this situation at all, an entire opposite to him, truly. “I thought you were too. My parents told me when they had heard about you having been cast, asked me to look out for you but I never actually happened to catch a glimpse of you. After not seeing you for years nor hearing from you, I nearly didn’t recognize you when I first saw you on a magazine cover.” Those words were accompanied by an awfully tender smile that made him itch with the soft heat spreading from his chest to all over his body, making him wonder whether it was the affection towards his childhood friend or just embarrassment about what he could easily consider a hidden compliment. “I had to call my parents to make sure I wasn’t mistaken, actually. And then I just happened to run into you more and more often, I always thought it was your aloof charade that forbid you from showing affection, I wasn’t aware it was for this reason…”  
Finally, and with a bit of sadistic joy, he found himself not the only one feeling helpless for once, hiding his little glee behind his glass as he took a sip, buying himself some time to think it all over, it actually made sense, explained why he had always thought that the other was looking for him whenever they actually had a quick run-in, even if there was no time for greetings, but it didn’t actually state as to how they had lost contact, that much he was aware of. He had still been a kid when his Junnie had disappeared between the beginning of summer holidays and his returning from a trip his mother had taken him on, thanks to a schedule she had had in New York, taking him along to appointments that would last an hour or two every day before they went for sightseeing and all that, one of his happiest vacations, if only it hadn’t been for coming back home and finding a letter on his bed, neat Chinese writing telling a story of going back home to Taiwan because of having been accepted into one of the top schools there, of wanting to study languages and travelling the world and how, later, Junnie would come back to take him to all the places he wanted to go.  
It had been the first and last letter he had received, childish him had always looked forward to holidays, hoping for his best friend to visit but, instead, parents had gone to see their son, saying they’d take the chance to visit the whole of their family, too, and with time his stubborn pettiness had turned into neglect, dreams of coming off age and being picked up like it would happen in cheesy dramas were slowly fading out for reality to take place, and maybe he had forgotten about such promises, too, especially when it hadn’t been this Junnie to take him off when he had legally become an adult but rather a model agency and suddenly his everyday order had been just that.  
“When I started talking to you at the party, it went so easy and I just thought it must be because we’re falling back to those days so easily, that you’re awkward the morning after because of how our relationship had shifted with these few years break. It didn’t even cross my mind that you didn’t know,” the older went on, more silent this time, as if embarrassed for what had happened, maybe he actually was, Zhengting was aware he was easily affected by champagne and he must have drunk quite a bit that night to so easily go along with the other, even if it hardly ever left him feeling hangover the morning after, he must have been quite pliant and to think Yanjun had misunderstood…  
Again, he found himself chewing on his lower lip, looking down at the demolished piece of cake thoughtfully, considering their situation for a moment, even though this was a turn of events he hadn’t expected, he couldn’t quite help but still feel his heart warming up with the thought of being around his childhood friend, and that thought had him gently tug at his opposite’s hand, signing with his head to follow him before he grabbed his glass to leave the kitchen and go upstairs, very well aware of how Yanjun stopped on the stairs every some steps to find the photographs depicting their childhood, smiling fondly in that very same way he had too when looking at them, and prolonging their way to reaching his room a whole bit.  
Eventually, though, he found his guest setting into his armchair, eyes travelling around the room that had changed from the colorful playground of their late childhood to a simple and clean-cut place, most of the place occupied by shelves and bars filled with clothes, curtain installed around it so he could cover them up, protect the open closet from dust and sunlight whenever he wasn’t around for a longer time, the bed that had considerable grown in size and was covered in throw pillows to make him feel less alone in it, the nondescript boxes in a corner that held all his school and course books just so he could forget about endless hours of studying rather than having to see them again and again, and all that was pushed to the back of his mind as he knelt down in front of his hand carry, rummaging around a compartment until he had his fingers clutching around a packet of candies, the whole of it thrown at the older.  
For a moment, all he could see Yanjun do was stare at the treat before realization flared up in his eyes, the familiar peachy wrapping coming to sight when the plastic was wrapped open and this, Zhengting couldn’t help but think to himself, despite being a seemingly careless gesture, must have held quite a meaning for the two of them, and if only for how easily they managed to transition into a proper talk from there, soon filled with laughter and him throwing pillows from where he was sitting on the bed, some time into their catching up with each other the wine bottle had shown up and gotten emptied, another soon falling, and it was way past midnight when he found himself laying in his bed next to Yanjun, dressed in a set of borrowed pajamas, and staring at the so peacefully sleeping one as if all these years had never passed, turning from soft features and cheeks ruddy from excitement even while dreaming to hard lines and angles, and in his tired and tipsy state, he found it was really no surprise he hadn’t recognized who had once been his childhood best friend.

“They’re taking pictures,” he muttered slowly around his straw, and even if he was sitting with his back to the few fans outside the shop, he was quite aware of their stares and giggles and how they had surely taken out their phones to take snaps of them in the coffeeshop, feeling like people were terribly aware of them ever since a certain photoshooting that had taken place while, theoretically, he had still been on a vacation, but when he had received a call at early noon two days after their dinner and he had been greeted with the question of whether he was free, he most definitely hadn’t expected to be called to a set, faced with a sheepishly smiling producer explaining that their other main model had fallen sick, reason as to why he had been called over instead. Or maybe just because Yanjun had had a sick sense of sadism.  
Because within half an hour of arriving there, he had found himself with artfully tousled hair, smudged makeup, and clothes only halfway done so, as he had looked into the mirror, he hadn’t been sure whether he was supposed to represent a night of partying or just having been fucked onto cloud nine and back, opting for the second option when he had seen Yanjun in a suit, matching accessories soon put onto them, and he would have definitely cursed them out for stereotypes, especially since he was quite sure accessories for women had been put onto him, except he hadn’t found it in him to do just that once he had seen their first pictures on the screen, how quite breathtaking they were despite the simple setting, the way the older had created the mood with posture and expression while he had so pliantly fallen into it had been outright stunning. Not to mention that that job had been one of the most exciting ones he had had in weeks now, something he’d rather blame on how he had been cursing around at lame jokes and threatened the other to drown him in soup if he wouldn’t stop already.  
Apparently, though, those pictures had not only gotten attention for their great looks when one had been posted as a preview on the brand’s social media, but also because no one had expected them to work together, and especially not because the one that had been posted had been one featuring him in smudged red lipstick and traces of such left on rich golden skin, it was hardly left to mention that it had been quite embarrassing because one makeup artist had asked how to best go about the marks, only for the producer to chirp in to just have Zhengting actually kiss his partner if that would resolve the problem and, at least, that they had been in public while doing so had taken some tension out of it, he wasn’t quite sure what had happened if they had them left alone after he had caught Yanjun’s slightly heated gaze in the mirror afterwards, more so when they both had spotted the little mark he had accidentally put there when kissing too harsh.  
“Let them,” his opposite simply shrugged it off, leaning back in the comfortable chair, fluffy pillows giving way under the weight and it honestly seemed like he didn’t give a care in the world, as if their meeting up wasn’t actually pouring gas into the fire that were the rumors surrounding them now, mostly born from comments posted online but he was somewhat certain that, sooner or later, they question would come up just what exactly had lead to them to work on an advertisement campaign together, such a heated one on top, since they hadn’t featured anywhere ever since their debut, and also, how came that ever since the release of those pictures, they had been seen in public together. Even though, actually, this was their first outing together, this going for a coffee because their schedules actually had a fitting break time for once.  
For another longer moment he just stared at the so relaxed one, eyes becoming a bit smaller with his doubt, and eventually a snort of disbelief escaped him as he simply asked, “Why?” His inquiry must have been quite inexpressive because all he received where questioningly raised eyebrows, expressions so easily read as if a good decade hadn’t passed between them parting ways and accidentally hooking up at a party. “Why aren’t you bothered by it? That party too! You just went for it - me - as if there wasn’t a single care in the world. So why?”  
“Are you saying you finally remember?” The older teasingly asked, amusement in his tone that didn’t disappear even as his own face fell into a scowl that quite forwardly told his opposite to get off the high horse, but that disport never failing became evident with words picking up, “Also, I’m way less concerned about some fans taking pictures than I am about you blurting out that I went for you. Are you sure it’s you who wants to keep it a secret?”  
The way he pulled up his nose and crunched his face must have been adorable to the other model, if the softening gaze was anything to go by, which also seemed highly unreasonable and he had to question himself once again whether he wasn’t just again friends with a lunatic, someone who liked to break rules and whatever else, if all those accumulated times of scoldings by the teachers for eating during class had been anything to go by, especially since he had heard about it so often he had wondered just how often Yanjun had snacked during a single school day that people didn’t stop talking about it, and even more about where all that had gone because neither of them had ever gained any weight, back then and now too. “That doesn’t answer my question, Junnie,” he nothing but whined, words muffled lightly since his lips were wrapped around the straw once more.  
“Say, are you aware I’m still older than you, sweetcheeks?” The question might have been asked but all Zhengting sustained as reply was a slurping sound as he drank some of his coffee, giving his best to show off his nonchalance towards this matter and the lack of formal speech, to his defense, he hadn’t used it as child, neither would he do now, that much he had already decided upon. “But to answer your question - because I know we have great chemistry? Because you’re quite beautiful? Because you kissed me first?”  
Admittedly, he was so close to choking on the drink with the last question, coughing softly into his hand as he stared incredulously at the honey haired, finally protesting with more of a mewling undertone than he’d admit, “So what if I find you attractive? I was evidently drunk! You can’t possibly hold that a-...gainst me…” He lightly furrowed his brows, words drawing out when he spotted the entertained grin that was nothing short of mischievous, making his body churn with embarrassment. “I didn’t kiss you first, did I?”  
“No,” Yanjun so easily admitted as if he had asked about a second cup of coffee and, lacking the pillows to throw, he could do little more than bunch up a piece of tissue to aim at the older with. “But, to my defense, you had been asking awfully many questions about my lips that night, either for my lipstick or whether I use lip oil or whatever, I deemed it safe to just let you have a taste of them on your own. You must have enjoyed it quite a lot, though, considering how easily you followed me to my hotel.” There was an ominous break, delighted glint to dark eyes, and before he could even so much as open his mouth for a reply, the dreaded question was already coming back to him, “Should I recount what happened after that or-”  
So maybe stuffing a whole muffin into the other’s mouth might not exactly have been the nicest of moves, but it worked quite well in stopping any further words from coming out and probably throwing him into embarrassment, the kind that had only grown with the nightly questioning of whether it would be all that bad to stage a repeat of that night, blaming it on curiosity about not remembering what had happened, faulting his body for craving attention after over two years of not having received any, but most definitely he was ignoring his heart that seemed to be faster at the thought alone, or right now, as he felt strong arms tug him closer because of their proximity, until he was, more graceful than he would have expected with his surprised state, set on Yanjun’s lap with a straddle, grand chair easily accommodating the both of them and drawing too many eyes to their frames.  
“Don’t tease me too much, sweetchecks, you’re not the only one who can put up a fight,” resounded the voice below him, after finally getting rid of the sweet treat and even the last crumbs smeared into golden skin, and just as Zhengting felt butterflies starting in his stomach and excitement creep up his spine despite attentive gazes on them, he was released with a soft pat to his ass. “But seems you’re spared today. My manager just arrived.”  
With these words, he had to get off that surprisingly comfortable lap, stepping back to let the other off who said goodbye with a ruffle to his hair and a promise to calm, and it wasn’t until Yanjun had left, coffee in one hand and muffin in the other, that he eventually pulled up his hood to hide the pink flush on his face and reached for his phone to request a pick up too. 

As much as he loved his work, for sure he had no shame in admitting that he also needed these breaks at times, the ones when he could just sit down and poke his chopsticks into salted broccoli, denying himself a sturdier meal for the hours of work because, later, when he had off, he’d rather focus on cooking himself something proper and if merely for the sake of not wanting to look bloated for the durance of the shoot, were a welcome gift, had him calming for a while, before he’d need to go back into the bright lights of the studio again, but for the time being he was quite satisfied with just munching on his vegetables while watching a younger, clearly less experienced, model have taken on the slightly changed set, spouting a different outfit to his but, admittedly, it looked still quite grand on that honed body.  
Just watching must have been distracting to a greater extent, for he had not noticed Xuanyi calling out to him a number of times already, if the slightly judgy gaze of one staff member was anything to go by, only to be faced with his phone screen when he looked up, Yanjun’s name looking blazingly bright on the dark background, one of the pictures from their shared shoot that laid a few weeks past already, and he would forever deny he didn’t like the sight of it, the smoldering look on that shamelessly handsome face, the tempting setting, especially since it hadn’t even been him to set such contact profile picture.  
Apparently his gaze had been questioning as he took the device, because she merely pointed to a door behind them, their silent gestures a trained talent from needing to keep silent on the set ever so often, smiling softly as he grabbed his iced coffee and left for where she had directed him. By the time he had reached the empty hallway, the call had already passed by, prompting him to press the green button on his own, only to be greeted, or not so, by the immediate question, “Your mom’s done it again. Did you see yet?”  
He only gave a noncommittal hum before switching to speaker, not needing to ask what it was about as he already pulled up the new chat room their mothers had created, mostly filled with pictures of their works, a silent competition of who’d get to update on their most recent publishings faster, at times interrupted by pictures of his nephew or their fathers reminding them of shared dinner, as if that didn’t involve only one of the two generations part of this all. “You look good,” he pointed out, swiping through the pictures that had a heavy travel mood, dressed in a sleek suit, spread out on the seats of an airport or walking the airfield, departing airplane visible not that far away, which had him briefly wonder, “How did you even manage to communicate there? Must have been hellish loud.”  
Yanjun’s boisterous laugh was hardly drowned out by the gargling noise his drink made as he sucked on the straw, ice cubes shaking around as he adjusted his position, sliding down the wall he had been leaning on until he was seated on the ground, not caring about the clothes he had been put into and rather focusing on how to balance his phone on his knee without it dropping off. “Didn’t hear anything. Good thing they only shot my back, right?” Words were followed by a short break, filled with his slurping and some shouting from wherever the other was located at, before he added, “They also gave me earplugs so I wouldn’t have heard even if they had shouted directions. It was horrible.”  
“Can imagine,” he grinned in return, trying to drown out his sadistic glee for his now-again best friend to have needed to go through such a thing, at least the pictures turned out great, it must have definitely been worth it, if he was to judge it. “And I know you’re an arrogant narcissist and terrible show-off but that surely wasn’t the reason for you to call, was it?”  
“You know me so well, are you sure we aren’t meant to be?” The older joked lightly, not waiting for a reply as he immediately went on, “Actually wanted to ask you out for dinner since I have a late morning tomorrow. I would also include drinks but we better have that when we have a day off. Wouldn’t want to tire you out, would we?”  
“You aren’t implying scandalous things, are you, Mister Lin?” Despite his teasing words - and the short stutter his heart gave as a response - he was already checking his schedule of the week, quickly scanning for his next day’s amount of work and, while the shoot didn’t start too early, he had a press conference about a brand whose spokesperson he had become, biting his lower lip with the dread of the exhaustion that would come along with having to go through such an event. Yet… “Let’s not stay out too long, though. I have to be well rested enough to survive the next day.” There was more shouting from the back of the other end of the line, making him grateful for Yanjun not having talked at the moment or he wouldn’t have been able to catch a single word of what had been said. “Are you still at work?”  
“Break. But aren’t you at work too? You took quite long to reply, sweetcheeks,” came the prompt reply and, unfortunately, quite fitting analysis of his own situation, making him feel flustered with the memory of how spaced out he must have been to not notice his own phone going off right next to him, even if it had only been on vibration mode.  
His answer came in a little snort and some more nipping on his drink, teeth still caught onto the thin plastic of his straw as he asked, “What are you? My husband? Don’t go checking on my attendance rates, idiot.”  
“Now, now, according to our parents we might as well be already married. I think my mom even saved you as ‘son-in-law’ last time I checked.” Just hearing such statement had him nearly choking on his coffee, coughing into his fist in an attempt to recover from the strain on his throat, but his body’s jerking movements were still enough to send his phone off onto a fast and dynamic journey to the ground. “I’m just kidding, sweetcheeks. Wouldn’t be too bad, though, would it? Us marrying and all. We already engaged in concubinage, I think this should be enough of a deed to have us consider putting a ring on it, don’t you think so? Lin Zhengting also sounds mighty great, might I add.”  
This time around he was glad he had put down his cup in favor of picking up his phone, otherwise he’d have spat out the sip he might have taken, or just actually died on it, he wasn’t sure which would be the preferable option but currently he found himself ending the speaker mode in a hurried panic, pressing the little device to his phone again. “Are you crazy?” His words came out like a hiss, nothing he did actually mind, not when he could feel the heat in his cheeks that had him thankful for no one being around to see the ruddy flush glowing through the layer of foundation. “Even if we were, you asshole, you’d be named Zhu Yanjun!”  
“Oh, I’m quite certain I could convince you to agree with me, sweetcheeks,” the addressed sing sang into the phone, words carrying a certain undertone he’d rather not spend any time thinking about or he’d only make it worse for himself, and then, before he could even utter another word, there was also an, “But glad to know you didn't deny the marriage part, baby. Have to go now. Talk to you later!” and the line went dead with a final beep, leaving him frozen in his spot along with it. 

Dinner with Yanjun, for these weeks that had transitioned from winter to spring, had been something utterly enjoyable, as had been their random coffee meetings or sweet brunches, literally so for he had ordered pancakes more often than not, and he wished it would be this time too, but while his working hours had passed rather peacefully and with excellent results, as should be expected of someone like him, the taxi drive to the restaurant and eventually meeting his best friend had made him restless. It was an odd combination, quite so, that their first meeting after years had resulted in them spending the night together and then they were supposed to be best friends again, except that the ambiguous remarks had never stopped, had filled his ears nearly every time they had talked or met up, and touches, even when they were supposed to be fleeting, had always lingered a moment too long.  
He had pushed it off, marked it as his own imagination or his craving for touches, because his darned body was still backstabbing him by yearning for attention again, like a junkie who had a shot after a long time of abstinence, it was following him into his dreams more often than before and the cold showers in the morning surely did nothing good for his mood, not to mention his own helping hand could only do so much, at least, which was a relief, none of those had involved his former childhood friend, or at least he wouldn’t remember such thing. There was also the fact of his mother now asking nearly more often about her apparently adopted son now, it made him feel like the dating equivalent to mothers asking when their grandchildren would arrive finally once their kids had married, and that both their mothers were still asking for when they’d partner up for a shooting together, for they wanted to show off their kids some more, was just another bullet on the list of reasons that added to interpret too much into this situation.  
Without wanting to, he suddenly had to recall the scene of some time prior, those days at his family home, the cheerful talking with his mother wouldn’t have left quite such an impression on their current situation hadn’t it been for her words, about how it had been him to declare wanting to marry his Junnie first, even if it had been with juvenile spirits, those had been his own words, so would he even be allowed to protest against any of these doings when the older, despite his burying that deep within his memories, had been his first crush in first place? to the point even he had declared a planned proposal to his mom in his preteen years still, when he wasn’t even supposed to engage with such fantasies anymore?  
All of this would probably be way easier to handle if Yanjun wasn’t so awfully boyfriend-material, even just talking about looks, for sure, the Junnie from his late childhood had already been fairly good-looking but back then both of their looks had been shrouded and covered by baby fat and youthfulness, never would he have expected to see the only fairly interesting model of the industry to stand in his doorway back then, it was something he still had to wrap his hand around, just what a stereotypical and drama-deserving development it was, which didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate though, he found himself rather often comparing their features recently, the way they were both fairly toned but in different ways, his muscles had been born from performing arts for years, he didn’t go to the gym unlike the other, that for sure, they were also of a pretty similar height, resulting in their silhouettes being somewhat similar.  
Speaking from the point of interest born from different physical charms, there most definitely was none, nothing like this whole height difference or “small and cute plus big and broad” image, rather, he had figured, especially after looking of their shared pictures more often than he’d admit to, it was their difference in charisma that was so awfully appealing, the older with his whole bad boy charm that seemed to only be betrayed by parting plush lips, while he was certain he was emanating this whole homme fatale aura, ruined only by his own clumsiness and that one video from when he had seen a bug and screeched so loudly it had rung moments later still even in his own ears, and this whole differing images matter, probably it was the whole of the mesmerization of their relationship.  
If only their life had been a drama, he was certain Yanjun would be the high school bad boy, with this whole motorbike and leather jacket thing, and he, if only played by a woman, would be the whole school’s crush with an unexpected background like poverty, or there would be this mean CEO who’s actually just desperate to keep their parent’s bankrupt company from failing and attracting public laughter paired up with the rich heir who’s just desperate to impress their strict father finally, then they would find their match in each other and realize that it wasn’t actually all that bad and there would be a romantic kiss, maybe during a festival and beneath the fireworks, or standing in the rain after one of them would have run into some kind of trouble or-  
Actually, he thought, it wouldn’t be all that bad to kiss the older, with those plush and most definitely soft lips, it would probably carry a certain mood, maybe it would start all gentle, a tad hesitant, because his best friend was still some sort of gentleman who’d always offer him a way out, and then, once he had started to reply, it would turn into something deeper, a kiss that would make his legs weak and his knees go weak because, thanks to whatever magic, his most recent hook up did always know how to make him feel good, with just a short message in the morning or by bribing Xuanyi into buying him a little treat, however they had managed to get each other’s contact information in first place was an unsolved riddle to him, or by finding just the right words to calm him after he had spent his day with an exceptionally exhausting producer or executive, and that, he concluded, was truly not fair.  
“Sweetcheeks, hey, baby,” he was pulled out of his reveries, empty fork still stuck between his lips as he apparently hadn’t taken a bite for what might have been minutes now, judging by the way the other plate had already emptied itself by quite some extent, “I can understand my lips are quite appealing but your food’s getting cold.”  
It was only then he realized just where he had stared, eyes trained on those perfectly rosy lips even when he had been called out for it, and it had him choking on his own spit, fork quickly put down in favor of taking a sip from his water before he silently pointed out, “Didn’t stare though…”  
Yanjun hummed lowly, accompanied by some low clatter that must have been the other putting his cutlery down as well, an assumption that was proven true only seconds later when he dared finally put down the glass and look up at his opposite again, “Sure you didn’t. You also didn’t ditch your food even though I know you must have been quite hungry and would never miss out on some. Neither did you greet me rather stiffly and not talk a word except to order some food and most definitely did you just space out while chewing on your fork, right?”  
Despite the partly gentle partly teasing smirk of his best friend, he felt awfully called out, not unlike a child reprimanded by its mother, those words, too, proved to be quite effective in giving him a way out, and although the cowardly route of just shrugging it off with some lame excuse seemed to be quite charming currently, he wasn’t actually someone to take the easy way out, regardless of how it had him chewing on his lower lip and considering his words for a while. “Why did you bring up marriage? You always keep teasing me and reaching out for me, you also make all these dinners and outings seem like dates and just... “ He stopped himself, not quite certain how to put it into words, which was unlike him, that he was quick to decide, but something about those deep eyes staring at him so intensely had him losing his mind.  
“You want them to be dates?” Was the question he received in return, instead of a proper reply, and it had him scowling lightly, eyebrows furrowed as he glared at his opposite who seemed undeterred anyways as he continued, “Because I definitely would prefer that option over just platonic meetings. To think I gave so much for wooing you and you didn’t even take me for full… You’re hurting me, sweetcheeks.”  
If a punch could be delivered by words, it definitely were those, forcing all air out of his lungs simultaneously to what he was quite certain had been his jaw meeting the floor, or the tabletop, or just the limit of his joints, and just as much as they had left an impact as fast was his physical reaction replaced by an obvious blush, one that must have been pleasing his… whatever he was supposed to call Yanjun now, if that dark glint in even darker eyes was anything to go by, and it most definitely took him too long to finally lower his head in embarrassment and to keep his reaction hidden until it would finally subside, while also muttering, “...maybe.”  
“Maybe what? You have to use words, sweetcheeks, I can’t read your thoughts,” the addressed stated without any hint of hesitation, only making him squirm in his seat lightly, merely for it was simply too unfair, how little Yanjun seemed to be affected by this situation while he didn’t even know how to give a reply now, blaming it on his inexperience with relationships, teenager him hadn’t known where to go to find someone to date, before the invention of dating apps and all, and adult him had been too deep into the business to still be able to take risks, and this insecurity was showing way more than he’d like, than he’d want.  
Yet it wasn’t befitting him to just give in like that, ruddy his cheeks might be, restless he might feel, he wasn’t a model for being unable to wield any kind of self-confidence and convey certain images, so yet as he picked up his dining tools to continue that activity again, he managed to admit with just the right amount of security in his voice, “Maybe I’d like this to be a date too…”  
He didn’t need to see the other’s expression to know just what grin was plastered onto these lips, he also didn’t need to wait for a reply, even though there was a pleased confirmation to call this their first date soon, all of it together was enough to lift the tension off his shoulders and calm him down anyways, allowing him to enjoy this evening way more than he might have given the impression to in between. 

Just some minutes ago, Zhengting would have still considered this a cozy and relaxed date, some time to get away from working hours and escape stress as they had cuddled up on his lux couch, covered with blankets and his own weight dropped against Yanjun’s, legs a tangled mess from where he had initially sat between those golden thighs only to turn sideways after a while, their situation turning chaotic but, nonetheless, he thought it was most definitely comfortable, especially with a nice pillow between his arms to replace something to hold onto for him, but it had all changed with the repeated buzz of their phones on the couch table, knowing fully well it must be something personal, considering his employed rule of not letting work matters get into the way of their date times, it meant that only a limited amount of people would still get their phone vibrating despite silent mode.  
There was such a rule but he still felt like their little alone time had been roughly interrupted, he had just wanted to watch one or two movies together, have some drinks, and then fall asleep together, in a manner that was so disgustingly domestic he couldn’t even believe himself they had branded themselves official only two weeks ago, but somewhere between their first date and their tenth-and-something, it had been him who had been craving a name to be put on their relation, hadn’t found it in him to refuse being called boyfriend, especially not when, just one shower before, they had still been messing around beneath the sheets, heated thrusts setting his body on fire and amplified by the gasoline of his two or three drinks before that, it was a memory that surfaced again now as he looked at their shared families’ chat, reading over the messages that came in with a buzz, their mothers’ excitement, their fathers’ call for order, and a message of jumbled letters talking about having watched The Little Prince which he figured had been his nephew’s slurred writing.  
“Say, Junnie,” he asked, sitting upright again, back resting against the warm chest behind him and head dropping back to fall over his boyfriend’s shoulder, gazing at him with slightly furrowed brows until he had finally the attention he had so gently demanded, “You didn’t tell anyone we’re together yet, did you?”  
“And arouse your mighty wrath?” The older asked teasingly, playful smirk on those deliciously tempting lips and there was a wave of relief washing down of his body when he saw that smirk fall, not exactly for the reason it had disappeared but for another entirely, “I promised not to tell anyone until you were ready and to leave it to you to make the declaration first, and I usually stick with my word, sweetcheeks. So why are you doubting me?”  
A faint breeze of guilt washed over him as he looked down at his phone again, clicking some buttons to send a cheerful sticker in return and had it followed by some meme their parents could try to figure out before he dropped the little device between their layered legs, crossing his arms as he directed his gaze at the movie again. “Our parents planned a trip, something about wanting to have a break so they’re coming here. Said they wanted to have dinner with all of us so we should check our schedules asap.”  
He more so felt than heard the low chuckle, snickers being held back but the vibrations coming from a sturdy chest were easily passed down to his back, making him feel cozy and oddly connected in some new sort of way. “Haven’t they always been that way? When we were kids, they were talking about us staying together forever, now they’re no better than grannies crazy over babies and you’re surprised over them wanting to come to a country that’s so closely tied with their roots?”  
Put like this, admittedly, it did sound logical, their parents had been fussing ever since they met up again and he had a gut wrenching feeling their mothers had been aware of their flying sparks before he had even considered such a thing, but it was one thing to keep a relationship from the public eye who had to believe their words for not knowing their true selves, it was a totally different matter to keep such a thing from the people who had raised them and knew them in and out, it was making him feel uneasy and apparently more tense than he had considered, only noticing it when he felt his muscles relax with hands caressing his sides and squeezing his knees, going from one point to another until he felt boneless in the gentle hug.  
Their background was filled with the noises from the movie he was watching with only half a mind, not like there was much to pay attention to in first place, cheap action movies with special effects greater than the acting were a nice way to stay entertained but also too easy to space out to, and they had gotten closer to the ending by quite an amount when he finally asked, “You think they’ll be upset if we come out to the public now and use paparazzi as an excuse to not go?”  
There it was again, that low vibration of stifled laughter, followed by a nose pressing against his neck, grazing up and down his sensitive skin, going up to his ear only to whisper, “They’ll kill us, slowly and torturous.” And he hated the way it made him shiver, hot breath against his sensitive flesh making him shiver and definitely feel a different way if only there had been different words, it had him groaning in annoyance for his weak spot to be abused and, just a second later, he had already thrown his hugging pillow right into his boyfriend’s face, huffing some insults under his breath that only stopped to leave his mouth when air was literally forced out of him, a hug way too tight making him sputter slightly, and screech a second later as he was tickled by nimble fingers.  
“Foul play! Foul play,” he yelled out within moments, bending forward and clutching his arms around himself, trapping the obtrusive limbs to his sides by clenching his elbows and trying to tackle down those teasing hands until they were sprawled beneath his own, fingers lacing together as he wrapped them tighter now, leaning back into the other’s body as he tried to also sort out the messed up blankets, only stopping when he heard his name being called out and turning slightly to look at his behind.  
“You are aware we need to tell them sooner or later, right? If anyone would accept our relationships, it will be our parents,” Yanjun reminded him softly, raising their locked hands to brush back some of his hair, and despite the movement on his own, he didn’t stop any of it, instead leaned into the caress when it traveled down to his cheek, pressing a kiss to a smooth palm while his fingers rubbed warmly around that bony wrist.  
“And you are aware same sex marriage is allowed in Taiwan, right?” He asked in return, ignoring the amused grin and plush lips parting as he went on, “And that you’re still here on a working visa, right?” It took a second for the older to nod but, again, before there was a verbal reply, he continued, “And that our mothers are batshit crazy about us being together?” The last question seemed to make do in connecting dots in that pretty head and, with a heavy groan, the other dropped back, head falling over the backrest at the realization of how there would be marriage talk the moment they declared their relationship.  
Zhengting could only snort in agreement when his boyfriend said, “We can’t have them find out at all or ever…” and that, some way or the other, seemed to seal the deal between them and not wanting to get it out anytime soon.

It wasn’t until snow was falling again as he opened the door for Yanjun, immediately engulfed by strong arms and finding himself pressed against a wall, lips against his, greedily ravishing whatever he had to offer, before he even got to close the door, actually, he quite forgot about that as he couldn’t help but melt into the kiss that was turning his legs into hot chocolate pudding, feeling weak as he was only held up by those hands gripping his hips, thumbs sliding beneath his shirt and he couldn’t even mind the cold air hitting his skin.  
With a kiss so quickly draining all of his motivation to do anything but drown in the moment, he felt only startled when there was a shocked gasp coming from the end of the hallway, high pitched and out of breath, it had him pulling away quickly to find his nephew standing some meters away, looking at them with wide eyes and it demanded the last of his proper thinking to raise his pointer finger to sign the kid to keep it a secret, his own command supported by Yanjun’s gentle question, “Are you waiting with dinner?”  
The small boy could do little more than nod his head and then he was already scrambling off, leaving Zhengting with his head dropping back against the wall, noticing the cold finally and so must have his boyfriend for nudging the door close with one foot. “I have an awful sense of déjà vu,” he muttered silently, warmth filling his chest when he felt hands slowly letting go of him, as if the other was afraid he might still fall down if let go of too quick, and only when assured it was safe he could see the other taking off his coat and shoes, finding a pair of slippers to put on.  
There was a thoughtful hum coming from the older, smirking softly with the following admission, “Except last year you were looking like a wet paper doll when seeing me. Today, though, you’re looking outright devourable and it’s all I’ve been thinking of since seeing you at the show two days ago and if it means I have to take you to a hotel, today I’ll-”  
Quickly he scrambled to put his hands over that dirty mouth, cheeks having a healthy flush as he faked a glare to look at the other with, the fingers wrapping around his wrist a sign for him to start walking backwards and towards the living room and dining hall, “I get it, okay? You’ve been missing me, a lot, but can we maybe talk to our parents first before your thoughts start drifting off that direction, maybe?”  
“Tell us what?” A voice surprised him from behind, made him visibly flinch and the amused sparkle of his opposite made him glare for real this time, this asshole of a boyfriend had been aware of their reaching the dining room already and didn’t even warn him, only left him to slowly turn around to face both their parents and especially his mother’s testing gaze, only his sister looking rather unbothered as she clawed the toys from her son’s fingers.  
It was this very little traitor who dropped the bomb before either he or Yanjun would have a chance to, eye innocent and big as he looked into the round and then the two of them, pursing his lips in a smooching manner as he proclaimed, “That they’re doing what mama and papa do whenever papa comes back after days!” Those words were only further supported as cold arms sneaked around his midriff and he felt the familiar presence of another body pressing against his, the little whisper of, whoops, their secret being revealed.  
“Told you it would happen today,” his sister only said while rolling her eyes while his father pulled out a wallet to hand his mother a bill, it was making him squirm in the embrace to see his parents embarrassing him like this, even more so to have to find out his own flesh and blood had betted on his love life and their relationship status, and for that reason he nearly missed Yanjun’s mother smiling at them softly.  
“Oh, darling, we’ve been away since a while now. We just figured you might want to tell us on your own,” she said gently before pointing to the two empty seats still, opposite his sister and nephew, “Now, sit down, sit down. We’re finally allowed to hear all about you and our traitorous son, we’ve been dying for ages!”  
“Pretty sure only her heart’s been dying,” Zhengting muttered under his breath, barely audible to his own partner but still loud enough to earn himself a painful pinch to the side that had him wheezing lightly, before he pulled away to get to his seat, fingers tracing over that cold hand as he left but he knew it was enough to make the other smile and their parents stare in bemusement, until they were both sitting finally and the questions came raining down upon them like cannon balls on the fields.  
With the dinner passing, they also finally got to tell their story, although slightly censored, and having to replay sweet episodes of their dates or relationships, explaining how they had managed to keep it hidden for so long or when they’d be coming out to the public, but it wasn’t until they were into the second bottle of wine and dessert that the older ones finally seemed to get more interested in their own theories and discussions about their relationships and relationships in the industry in general and whatever else there was.  
It meant a peaceful break for a while, with their hands meeting between their chairs to lock fingers for a while only to be disturbed by a foot kicking his beneath the table, scowl forming on his face as he looked at his sister, lips already parting to tell her about how bruises on his body would lower his financial worth, only to feel put off guard when she just smiled at them gently. “If I had known it was your one year anniversary, I’d have brought something to celebrate for the two of you. Can I take you out for some tea time tomorrow instead?”  
Immediately he felt his heart constrict inside his chest, nodding softly at her gentle offer that he only forgot about when his nephew decided splattering cake at his grandfather with a fork was a good idea and, using that moment of distraction, Yanjun leaning in to be able to mutter to his ear, “I forgot to mention, sweetcheeks, but since it’s our anniversary, I think it’s only fair I also get to have you tipsy on champagne again before I eat you out, don’t you think?”  
If those words had him flushing a bright red, ruddiness drawing amused attention from his sister and worried glances from his mother, he would deny anything, but apparently his boyfriend was, once again, faster on the uptake, telling lies of his drinking too much and going upstairs to rest already, only to have a reason as to why he was dragging Zhengting into a standing position and out of the room already, shushing him on with words of having to get something he could only suspect was the champagne that had been promised to him.  
True to those words, only moments after him Yanjun arrived in his bedroom, little bag wet and cold from having been left outside the front door put down near the door only to pop the first bottle soon enough, glasses protruded from seemingly nowhere and then it only took seconds for them to be settled on the bed with crossed legs, cheering to themselves silently, and it wasn’t until they were halfway through the glass that another question came to his mind, “You’re not actually thinking of fucking me with our parents still downstairs, are you?”  
There was an amused sparkle in those dark eyes, already swamped with greed and desire and making his own body heat up from the intense gaze alone, a gentle prelude to the words that were to come, “You just need to be careful with your volume, sweetcheeks.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you came this far, congrats, you just survived my messy thoughts! lmao  
> anyways, the usual has to follow because if you wanna talk - [twitter](https://twitter.com/zhengjunist) and [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/dadting)


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